Jess Lively

Good morning!

I have been waiting for this day to come for a looong time!

I’m so excited to announce that my first ebook, Wish I Knew, is launching in just a few short weeks!

To explain it in more detail, I thought I’d do what other authors do: go on The Today Show and have Matt Lauer interview me about the book.

So that’s what I did.

Just kidding.

It turns out that the folks at The Today Show were a bit hard to reach. So I decided to be interviewed by the next best media source.

My husband.

Yep, Mr. Lively is here to interview me about the book. And I have to say, I was quite impressed by his interviewing skills.

Take a look.

 

 

This ebook, as the video (edited by Evergreen Lane Productions) shares, is a compilation of the last 50 Wish I Knew Wednesday newsletters. Only they are now edited by a real editor, formatted and designed by a great graphic designer, and sorted by topics so it can be a quick reference guide when needed.

Here’s a line up of the topics we’ll cover,

 

Chapter One – Setting Up Shop

Chapter Two – Going Full-Time

Chapter Three – Legalities

Chapter Four – Raising the Bar

Chapter Five – Personal Advice for Entrepreneurs

Chapter Six – Money & Sales

Chapter Seven – Project & Time Management

Chapter Eight – Branding

Chapter Nine – Marketing, Social Media, & PR

Chapter 10 – 100 Insights from 10 Creative Entrepreneurs

 

We also stepped it up a notch in Chapter 10 by including 10 extra interviews with 10 successful women business owners in a variety of creative fields.

In total, this adds an extra 100 insights to the book that have never been seen before.

 

Claudia Smith, Fig. 2 Design Studio, stationery designer

Kathryn Jackson, Protect Your Pumps, product inventor and online shop owner

Michelle Ward, When I Grow Up, life coach

Serena Faber Nelson, Pretty Fluffy, pet lifestyle blogger

Clara Artschwager, Clara Persis and Channeling Contessa, event strategist and food blogger

Kim Vargo, Yellow Brick Home, artist and online shop owner

Amanda Genther, AmandaGenther.com, business consultant

Kendi Skeen, Bloom and Kendi Everyday, boutique owner and fashion blogger

Jeanine Hays, Aphro Chic, lifestyle product designer and online shop owner

Bryn Alexandra Dunn, Bryn Alexandra Interiors, interior designer

 

The official launch to be the week of June 10th. But you can pre-order the book starting today.

And for the first 50 people that do pre-order we have a little something extra…

 

 

This free 5″x7″ coral print (unframed) is designed by one of my favorite graphic designers, Sarah Tolzmann of Note to Self.

I hope that this little extra gift can live on 50 gallery walls and inspiration boards across the world – inspiring entrepreneurs to just keep going, even when things aren’t easy.

If you pre-order and are among the first fifty to order you will receive an email within 1-3 business days letting you know that the print is on its way via USPS First Class. (So at checkout, please be sure that your address is correct.)

If you’d like to see more info about the Wish I Knew ebook, please hop over here.

And of course, you can pre-order below as well!

 

 

 

Thank you so much for your support – I’m so excited to serve you in this new way!

 

 

Tomorrow on Wish I Knew Wednesday I have a big announcement! A project that has been in the works for the past few months is going to be revealed (hint: there is a sneak peek on the With Intention Facebook page).

In addition to the news, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on how to form an effective business partnership. It’s something that comes up a lot in Business in the City, and I’m excited to finally tackle the topic in WIKW.

 

If you’d like to get the email, simply sign up by clicking on the image below. This email list is also where I announce upcoming workshops and other Business With Intention updates.

If you have signed up for the Wish I Knew Wednesday newsletter, you will automatically get this email.

 

Over the past few weeks Mr. Lively and I have been reading The 5 Love Languages aloud together and it has been pretty enlightening.

Though I reminded Mr. Lively on several occasions before we started reading, that I am fluent in all 5 love languages and therefore require every love language in very high and equal levels… this has proven to be false.

Even once I acquiesced that I might not be every language, my ego secretly hoped that my language would be gifts.

Because who wouldn’t want to read a book that tells your husband to give you more gifts?!

However, I have now come to recognize my true love language is quality time.

Which totally makes sense.

I am pretty adamant that we spend a lot (read: insane amounts) of time together.

On the other hand, Mr. Lively’s love language is words of affirmation.

Which was surprisingly not my own language. As long as I hear “I love you” at least seven times a day, I’m set. But Mr. Lively likes to hear more than just sweet nothings. He likes to be given more varied positive feedback on a consistent basis.

And when it comes to Franklin, we are quite honestly torn.

I am pretty sure his dialect is gifts treats.

You should see this dog when he has a frozen peanut butter Kong. 

Whereas Mr. Lively thinks that his pup language is words of affirmation, like himself.

For reference, this was mentioned in a conversation about Franklin’s weight and whether he had one too many of the aforementioned frozen peanut butter Kongs.

Mr. Lively insisted that I was hurting the pup’s feelings by being so critical and insensitive. He surmised that because I was ignoring Franklin’s pup language, Franklin preferred him more than me.

But in all seriousness, I think the book can be really enlightening not just to learn about your partner, but also to understand what you really want most out of a relationship.

For me, it’s not about getting little surprises, like I expected. It is about spending a Sunday afternoon walking around Evanston with my hubba and my puppa.

 

 

Since moving to the new apartment, I have grown bored of the floral painting I made for my old bedroom, which is now housed in our guest room.

Though it looked great in my last apartment (bel0w), it felt a bit too literal in its new home.

 

taken by

 

So I did what I did before with the flower painting, I decided to paint over it.

Only this time I wanted to test out a new style: abstract.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Jen Ramo’s work, and have been adoring Danielle’s piece in her apartment for several months.

But since I don’t have the budget for a piece like that for my guest room, I decided to try my own take on abstract in a cheerful palette.

 

 

… However, the first attempt was unsuccessful.

While I was going for, “cheerful abstract,” Mr. Lively aptly coined this piece, “Clown Vomit.”

Though the name stung a bit, I knew he had a point.

So this weekend I attempted to resurrect the piece and make it slightly less… vomit-like.

 

 

This was the end result.

As you can imagine, I was quite keen to hear what Mr. Lively’s art critique would be this time.

He first assessed that this new version looked like “Bird Footprints on Clown Vomit.”

Again, not good.

But then he took another look, and felt there could be an alternative title; “Abstract Tulip Fields.”

Much better. 

So that’s what I’m sticking with.

“Abstract Tulip Fields.”

Though it might not be everyone’s cup of tea – and I know that I’m meant to keep my day job - I kinda like it.

It makes me happy and it feels right at home in the guest room.

Which is really what it’s all about.

 

 

Jen here, and I am happy to introduce you to the lovely, Sophie of Just Live Into It.

Sophie was actually our Boston Foodie, where she did an amazing job cooking up a delicious spread for our workshop attendees. She was the first foodie I worked with, and she truly went above and beyond my expectations. Sophie is a hard working, driven individual and I can’t wait for you to read how she lives her life with intention. Enjoy!

 

 

 

After a long, cold, dark New England winter, spending time outside has never been more important to me. Not getting fresh air and sunshine was starting to have a serious effect on my mood. I was grumpy and tired and didn’t have very much energy. Now that the days are getting lighter and longer, I am trying to spend as much time outdoors as I can. Whether it’s going for a run before work, a walk during lunch, or eating dinner on our porch, spending time outside has made a huge difference. I feel so much better with some fresh air in my system!

 

 

Though hard to admit at times, I can be big on talk but small on actions. I think up big ideas but admittedly fall short when it comes to turning any of those dreams into reality. This stems from many things, but mainly a fear of failure. In reality though, that’s no way to live your life. Without the risk, we would never have any rewards. Working for Jess is the best example of this. When I saw her posting for a Boston Foodie, it immediately perked my interest. I thought, “I could totally do that!” But after 5 minutes of being confident and excited, the self-doubt started creeping in and I made several excuses for why I shouldn’t apply. However, rather than miss out on yet another exciting opportunity, I told myself to “just do it!” Just right the email and hit the send button. It was terrifying. I was waiting on pins and needles to hear back from Jen and Jess. However, this leap of faith turned into one of the best things I’ve done post-college. By taking a risk, I gained a huge sense of accomplishment and pride, met new friends and learned so much about myself.

 

 

As someone who is definitely guilty of having their iPhone glued to their hand, I am desperately trying to break this habit. I once received an important piece of advice: every time you’re with another person and look at your phone, you’re essentially telling that person that they’re not as important as whatever is on your screen. That is not a message I want to send [many] people. But, it’s easy to fall into that habit. My boyfriend and I now have a rule: no phones on date night. Especially now that we live together, it’s very easy to take alone time for granted. Now that we have a dedicated date night for ourselves (without the company of our iPhones), those nights have become really special. We’re able to focus just on each other, our relationship, and whatever delicious food we happen to be eating that night.

 

 

Food is such a huge part of my life. At times it seems that when I’m not eating a meal, I’m thinking about the next. Spending time in the kitchen is one of my favorite ways to de-stress after a long day. I also love cooking for others. For me, there’s no better place to get together with friends than around a dinner table. However, working a full time job means that eating a real dinner at the end of the day often falls to the wayside. After a long day at work, spending the evening in the kitchen can sometimes feel more daunting than relaxing. However, I’ve found that with a little bit of planning, cooking during the week isn’t that hard at all. A stocked pantry and a rough idea of the week ahead results in great food, which fills me up both mentally and physically.

 

 

As a twenty-something, the future is equally as exciting as it is scary. There are so many “what ifs” that if I think too hard about them all, I just get overwhelmed with worry. I can’t help it! However, I’ve found that all worrying about the future does is get in the way of having fun in the now. At the end of the day, I only get to be young and frivolous once, right? I have the rest of my life to worry about the big stuff. So for now, I’m working on enjoying the moment. While I’m not throwing all caution to the wind, I’m worrying less about what’s going to happen in the next 5 years, and worrying more about how I’m going to make the next 5 days count.

 

Check out past DESIGN YOUR LIFE interviews.